Not All Diesels Require Smog Test ?

[85MH325]

Originally Posted by Tomzstream

Gov Moonbeam? If you are referring to Gov. Brown, he is the former Governor. I was a resident of California for ten years and still have family there. I love it! They are doing a lot of things right IMO.

"Gov. Moonbeam" goes back to Brown's first term starting in '74 when he drove himself around in an old Dodge sedan, was dating Linda Ronstadt, and was generally thought of as a hippie in Sacramento.

[Alex AVI]

Originally Posted by 85MH325

Moonbeam hippie in Sacramento.

85MH325 - We did not go to Sacto much, but we did go to SF Chinatown a lot and there's a bakery there with the best MUNGBEAN cakes anywhere. That and Chicago pizza are the only 2 food items that have ever relegated my carry-on bag into checked-baggage so that I can hand carry multiple boxes of them.

[mikeinca]

Originally Posted by jcl

Your volcano anecdote is not true according to the US Government..

Thank you for posting the evidence knocking down that old volcano falsehood. It saved me the trouble of doing so myself!

[85MH325]

Originally Posted by Alex AVI

85MH325 - We did not go to Sacto much, but we did go to SF Chinatown a lot and there's a bakery there with the best MUNGBEAN cakes anywhere. That and Chicago pizza are the only 2 food items that have ever relegated my carry-on bag into checked-baggage so that I can hand carry multiple boxes of them.

Lichee Garden Restaurant had the BEST dim-sum in Chinatown! We were usually the only occidentals in the house... and the only English speakers!

on edit: I just looked it up and it appears now to be closed. MAJOR bummer... *sigh*

[Alex AVI]

I hate when the thread owner/starter (ME!) hijacks & derails his own thread from diesel smog test to eating in Chinatown

So back to diesel smog testing - my friend just bought a 37ft. Super C with Freightliner M2 chassis. While my smaller 18mpg MB diesel will be getting smog tested starting my 3rd year (next year), his much bigger 8mpg Cummins will not be in the foreseeable future (unless they change the gvwr limit for testing in NV). I dont know the rationale for that. Both are rv's, non-commercial vehicles. Only difference is his wastes more diesel and 2x heavier. Which means his is more 'disruptive' and 'impactful' to our resources and environment. If anything, he should go through same testing I have to go through?

[jcl]

Originally Posted by Alex AVI

I hate when the thread owner/starter (ME!) hijacks & derails his own thread from diesel smog test to eating in Chinatown

So back to diesel smog testing - my friend just bought a 37ft. Super C with Freightliner M2 chassis. While my smaller 18mpg MB diesel will be getting smog tested starting my 3rd year (next year), his much bigger 8mpg Cummins will not be in the foreseeable future (unless they change the gvwr limit for testing in NV). I dont know the rationale for that. Both are rv's, non-commercial vehicles. Only difference is his wastes more diesel and 2x heavier. Which means his is more 'disruptive' and 'impactful' to our resources and environment. If anything, he should go through same testing I have to go through?

Yes, but he has the "benefit" of an organized trucking lobby working to keep their members free from having to comply with regulations.

If it is any consolation, over the coming years there will be an ever increasing number of places conducting smog testing, while the weight limits for avoiding testing will keep rising, and the choice of fuel will become a factor in where people are permitted to operate, as diesel fuel bans become more commonplace, particularly in urban areas. It is a steady march of progress. There will be fits and starts in this, but over time it will keep moving to cleaner vehicles, with fewer exceptions granted.

Make sure you tell him that if he just waited, he might have been able to get an eM2 with full battery electric drive, now being delivered to fleets (no private sales yet).

[Alex AVI]

Originally Posted by jcl

Make sure you tell him that if he just waited, he might have been able to get an eM2 with full battery electric drive, now being delivered to fleets (no private sales yet).

JCL - Hahaha ! Now that will be my revennge. I did not know they are out being delivered to fleets already. That bodes well for my long term plan of maybe owning a Super C with an M2

[Alex AVI]

Originally Posted by Alex AVI

JCL - Hahaha ! Now that will be my revennge. I did not know they are out being delivered to fleets already. That bodes well for my long term plan of maybe owning a Super C with an M2

JCL - missed my edit window. I have always been a big fan of the M2 chassis. Almost bought a super short Renegade Classic Sportsman (30 ft) but we needed people mover ability (6-7 for now) which is how we ended up with the Sprinter AI.

Pulled up the EM2 vid from HDT and was disappointed with their stated range of 200 miles and target audience being local delivery use and overnight slow charging. They do not even recommend fast charging as a "normal routine" because they clearly state it would degrade batts. They mention production starts in 2021. IMHO They need to up that range to at least 500 miles if they want to break into RV territory. Otherwise, they will not be able to phase-out diesel technology for the long-distance traveler or commercial trucker.

Having said all that, the hardware technology employed sounds impressive as it stands.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1xcKsL13Lz8

[brick1]

No smog testing for diesel pick-ups in GA.

[Atwebs]

Probably something hidden in those if/then rules. I double checked the CA DMV website before I posted, knowing how quickly those rules can change. Of course, our current truck is relatively new.

They must not have updated the site as quickly as they change the rules.

[jcl]

Originally Posted by Alex AVI

JCL - missed my edit window. I have always been a big fan of the M2 chassis. Almost bought a super short Renegade Classic Sportsman (30 ft) but we needed people mover ability (6-7 for now) which is how we ended up with the Sprinter AI.

Pulled up the eM2 vid from HDT and was disappointed with their stated range of 200 miles and target audience being local delivery use and overnight slow charging. They do not even recommend fast charging as a "normal routine" because they clearly state it would degrade batts. They mention production starts in 2021. IMHO They need to up that range to at least 500 miles if they want to break into RV territory. Otherwise, they will not be able to phase-out diesel technology for the long-distance traveler or commercial trucker.

Having said all that, the hardware technology employed sounds impressive as it stands.

The 200-250 mile range is with standard loads, and an RV is likely to be lighter. Also, that was with one battery pack, on one frame rail. Make it two. The target audience is local delivery for the eM2 because that is where they want to launch it, it is easier to support the product during extended testing. They aren't worried about highway, just look at their other offering, the eCascadia with similar technology in a Class 8 (80,000 GCWR, 250 mile range, 90 minute charge for 80%).

It would make sense to have a special version of the eM2 for RV use, just like they do their other Class 6 chassis offerings like the S2RV. RV tuned air suspension, nicer cab features, etc. Add in longer range, and there you go.

Jeff

[Countryboy59]

Thank God we don’t have stupid vehicle or smog inspections in Michigan. When I lived in Utah they tried to fail the front brakes on my Model T.

I would avoid California at all costs.

[Alex AVI]

Originally Posted by Countryboy59

I would avoid California at all costs.

COUNTRYBOY59 - Yep, been there, done that, we enjoyed our years there but it got increasingly more & more stressful everyday just to do the basic necessities of living, especially anything related to vehicle use (i.e. 24hr traffic, constantly changing restrictions, parking, even shopping and/or getting gas at Costco is a nightmare). The only option was to move way out in the remote mountain areas of Cal. But we still wanted the conveniences of a city, just not the 24hr congestion which is why we settled over in the next state NV. That was 20 yrs ago and we never looked back, but constantly miss our friends & family who still live there.

[sparkymark]

California requires smog on diesels every 2 years, it’s a visual inspection!

[Alex AVI]

Originally Posted by sparkymark

California requires smog on diesels every 2 years, it’s a visual inspection!

SPARKYMARK - after reading your post, I could not believe it, that CA will only have a visual inspection. So I dug up the info from DMV CA and did confirm you are absolutely correct. It still baffles me because I know CA supposedly has the stringest smog requirements:

"California certified smog check stations are allowed to perform a diesel engine smog inspection if they possess OIS Smog Test equipment. The diesel smog test will not include the emissions test portion of the regular inspection. There will be no tailpipe emissions inspection either. Diesel cars and trucks are not driven on a dynamometer during the smog test either. The diesel smog test will focus on a visual inspection of your vehicle's emissions/smog components, a system check of the On Board Diagnostics (OBD II) system, and a smoke check for visible smoke from the PCV system or smoke plume observed 3 to 15 feet from the tailpipe(s) that lingers for more than 3 seconds."


Contrast the above CA diesel smog inspection to the NV diesel smog inspection below:

"Annual emission inspections are required for registration purposes on all light duty diesel powered vehicles based in areas of Clark and Washoe Counties. Light duty diesel emission inspections are conducted by using an opacity meter and dynamometer. A dynamometer applies a load to simulate driving conditions. The opacity meter measures the opacity (visible particulate emissions) of your exhaust. A sample of the exhaust is gathered and evaluated by the opacity meter. A visual inspection for tampering of emission control devices is also part of the inspection procedure."

Anyone ever go through the OPACITY meter and DYNAMOMETER diesel testing of their rig?

[blahargoue]

It depends on your county in CA. My 2500 HD Duramax required bi-annual smog checks when I resided in both Fresno and San Luis Obispo Counties. The new vehicle smog check exemption is 5 years, not 8 per the CA vehicle Code. (Diesels are not granted the 5 year new vehicle exemption and must be tested bi-annually.) If you are lucky enough to live one of the few rural counties with low population and a mean elevation of greater than 4000 ft., all vehicles are exempt from smog testing unless you are selling the vehicle. I now live in Calaveras County and we have no bi-annual smog testing.

[vintageracer]

It's ALL ABOUT THE MONEY!

Many of the metropolitan cities across the USA that require vehicle emissions testing is the result of Federal regulations concerning local pollution levels that REQUIRE that area to institute a vehicle emissions testing program. Metro Nashville TN Davidson County is an example of a metro area that WAS required to have emission testing due to Federal regulations.

NOW the Metro Nashville TN Davidson County area MEETS those Federal regulations and we are NO longer required to have a vehicle emissions testing program HOWEVER "Metro" government has drunk the Kool-aid of the MONEY they receive from this emissions testing program and the "Metro Council" continues to be reluctant vote on any change to cancel the program and therefore lose this revenue stream.

So much for government for and by the people.

As ALWAYS IT'S ALL ABOUT THE MONEY!

[Tomzstream]

Just love the California bashing... lol Folks, before you listen to these sour pusses, go find out for yourselves.

I loved California when I have lived there, four separate times in my lifetime...

Livermore in the late 50's (I was 3-5), Gasquet in the late 70's, Folsom for a decade in the 90's (you do the math). And again in Camarillo in the early mid 2000's.

Still have family there and we have found that owning a diesel can be very economical. I send all of my used diesels to my daughter there.

As for the rest of you, Woody said it best (nearly a century ago...)

If you ain't got the do-re-mi,
Well you'd better go back to beautiful Texas,
Oklahoma, Georgia, Kansas, Tennessee.…

What he meant was Dough, Re Mi.

[napabill]

In California, most of the State requires biennial emission testing on cars and pickups newer than 1975. A new car gets a pass for three years. In Lake, Del Norte, Humbolt, Inyo, Alpine, Imperial, and Jackson it is only on transfer of ownership. In El Dorado, Placer, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, and Sonoma it depends on the Zip Code. I live in Lake County, which regularly boasts the cleanest air in the lower 48, so I haven't smog checked a vehicle in about ten years. For diesels, 1997 or older, or 14,000lbs or greater GVWR rating are exempt.

[Boxster1971]

Originally Posted by Tomzstream

Just love the California bashing... lol Folks, before you listen to these sour pusses, go find out for yourselves.

I loved California when I have lived there, four separate times in my lifetime...

TOMZSTREAM - I agree with you. I lived there twice and also have family and friends living in California. I think a lot of people are just jealous of their near perfect climate.